'barbotine' originates from French, specifically the word 'barbotine', where the verb 'barboter' meant 'to splash, to churn or to muddle' (used of mixing liquids).

'barbotine' entered English from French in the 19th century as a term for a slip and a slip-decoration technique; the French word itself derives from the verb 'barboter' and related forms.

Initially it referred to a muddy or churned mixture (a slurry or slush); over time in pottery contexts it came to mean specifically the clay slip used for decoration and the decorative technique using that slip.